Conflagration-retardative curtain



Dec. 12, 1944. p- R WAGNER 2,365,127

CONFLAGRATION RETARDATI VE CURTAI N Filed NOV. 6, 1942 Patented Dec. 12, 1944 UNITEDA sTATssATENT orifice CONFLAGR-TEON-RETARDATIVE CURTAIN Paul RhoadsWagner, San Diego, Calif. Application November c, 1942, seriaiNo. 464,701`

` z claims. (circo-12o) My invention relates to improvements in conagration-retardative kcurtains in which a plu'` rality of portable sections of fire-resistant curtains are employed-to cover the roof and side of a building which adjoin a conlagration, and the objects of my improvement are, rst, to pre'- vent the spread of. conflagration by protecting buildings Afrom being 'setzaflame by, sparks and flame from an adjoining fire; second, to provide re-resistant curtains `composed of a plurality of sections, each section being capable of being rolled up into a compact bundle and capable of being carried up ladders onto the roof of any building that adjoins a blazing re; third, to afford means for quickly fastening a taut line across a roof onto which line the sections of curtains are capable of being fastened; fourth, to provide means for overlapping the edges of a plurality of curtain sections so that they form a complete protective curtain; iifth, to aid the war eifort by retarding and preventing the spread of conlagration, especially in army and naval concentrations where buildings are of combustible materials, and in congested residential areas, in bungalow courts, in lumber yards and like places where the spread of lre is probable and the job of preventing the i'lre from spreading to adjoining structures and Inaterials is difficult.

I attain these objects by the mechanism illustra-ted in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a View in perspective of the entire device as it covers a portiony of a building; Fig. 2 is a detailed view in perspective of one section of the curtain as it appears when rolled up for storage purposes and ready for being transported and carried up to any roof; Fig. 3 is a detailed view in perspective of two sections of the curtain as they appear when partly unrolled and overlapped; Fig. 4 is a view of the hooks, cable, and cable-clamp, as they appear when the cable is stretched taut across the roof of a building; and Fig. 5 is a view of an auxiliary fastening hook for use in holding the cablehooks and cable if and when the side wall of a building extends above the roof.

Similar numerals refer to throughout the several views. The conflagration-retardative curtains il consist of a plurality of similar sections (see il, il, il, 4, and l in Fig. l). It is made in sections so that each section 4 can be readily handled by one man and can be carried up a ladder to the roof of .a building. The length of section 4 is governed by the kind of buildings for which it similar parts may be designed to protect; two-story barracks and buildings require a longer curtain than is required for a bungalow court or for one-story structures. The Widthf of each section is governed by its weight; although it is desirable to have .each section 4 cover as wideaportion of the roof as possible, nevertheless said section must not be too heavy and cumbersome for one man to carry up a ladder. rIhe curtain ll is madeof incombustible materials; no particular incombustible materials are claimed as a part of this invention. One variety of fire-resisting curtain may be made of fly screen coated with lime wash; likewise, a cement wash can be applied to metal screen; in the same manner, a wash made of lime, cement and asbestos can be used. However, I prefer a nre-resistantcurtan made of felt, asphalt saturated, reinforced with at least two flexible wires running lengthwise with the curtain, then coated with asphalt and surfaced with slate granules.

A strip of rigid material 5 is'fastened aross the top end of the curtain section Il (see Figs. 2 and 5) which strip equalizes the pull of the curtains Weight and prevents tearing. The curtain hooks 6, li, are fastened to the strip 5 and detachably hook onto the cable l (see Figs. l, 2, and 3) The cable I is detachably fastened across the roof of a building by means of the roof-hooks 2, 2, which are hooked over the outer edges of the roof (see Figs. l and Il). One end of the cable l is firmly fastened to one of the hooks 2 which is hooked onto the outside edge of the roof and the other end of the cable I is slidably passed through the eye of the other hook 2 which is hooked onto the opposite edge of the roof; the cable l is pulled taut between the hooks Z,

2, and is fastened in a taut position by means of the cable clamp 3. The curved neck of the hook 2 operates as a fulcrum and sinks the pointed end into the under side of the roofs overhang and thus prevents the hook and cable from slipping downward.

In the event that the fire-threatened building is of the flat roof type of construction with side walls that extend above the roof, the auxiliary fasteners 1, l, are provided. The fastener 'i is a metal bracket which is placed over the top of the side-wall and has an eye or ring on its inside end into which receptacle the pointed end of the roof hook 2 is detachably inserted (see Fig. 5).

The device may be more fully disclosed by a description of its operation. The rolls of curtains, together with the hooks, cable and ladders should be stored on a vehicle in readiness for quick transportation to the location of a fire which threatens adjoining buildings. The ladders are set to reach the roof on the side 'of the building away from the fire. At least two ladders should be employed so that one may be used for ascending and the other for descending. The hooks are set on opposite edges of the roof so that the cable lays parallel With the fire and the cable is `stretched taut and clamped fast in said position. The upper ends of the sections of curtains are hooked onto the cable one after the other and allowed to unroll down over the side of the building so that edges of the curtains will overlap slightly and thus form a complete protective curtain covering the side of the building exposed to the conflagration. -A little practice at naval bases and army camps will make such operation both swift and efficient. After the confia/gration has been extinguished, any undamaged and vtlsablesectionsare rolled 11p-'again and stored away with the rest of the equipment for possible future use at another location when needed.

I vam aware that prior `to my invention, reresistant curtains have been made for use inside theater buildings `and that other rigid-type of asbestos fire-curtains have been marketed. VI therefore do not claim such a `combination broadly; but I claim:

asoma? 1. In a conagration-retardative curtain, the combination of a plurality of iire-resistant curtain sections being adapted to be rolled up into portable bundles and each section being provided with fastening means on the outside end of the section roll, a cable stretched across the roof of a building and fastened substantially parallel to a side of the building, said fastening means of the sections being attachable at spaced points to said cable, whereby each section roll may unroll itself by gravity and vafford part of a protective curtain hanging down a side of the building substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, in a portable fire-resistant curtain, of a vplurality of curtain sections be ing adapted to be rolled up into portable bundles and each section being provided with fastening means on the outside end of the section roll, a cable stretched across the roof of a building and fastened substantially parallel to a side of the building, said fastening means of the sections being attachable at spaced points to said cable so that the outer edge of each vsection roll will overlap the adjoiningsection roll, whereby each section roll may unroll itself by gravity and afford part of a curtain hanging down a side of a building as a protection from lfire, in manner substantially as herein set forth.

PAUL RHOADS WAGNER. 

